First impressions: 'Fable III'

"The uprising has begun, but who will lead the revolution?" says prophet Theresa as she sets up the events of Fable III, the latest chapter in the action role-playing series for Xbox 360.

Set 50 years after the events of Fable II, the third installment is set inside familiar towns such as Bowerstone during an industrial age. Players will attempt to start a revolution as either the son or daughter of the hero from Fable II, and eventually take over as king or queen of Albion.

There's still plenty of Albion to explore before preparing an appropriate review, so we'll perform the same drill as last week with Fallout: New Vegas. We'll start with some initial thoughts for those seeking immediate details, and then feel free to leave any questions.

-- While the concept of "revolution" dominates the storyline in Fable III, its gameplay appears to follow the theme of "simplicity." There's no wheel of expressions players use to choose specific responses to other characters. When interacting, players just choose one of a handful of expressions, such as "Dance" or "Belch" or "Threaten." As a prince or princess, players can also hand out gold to improve their stature. In fact, there's little text cluttering the screen, between the menus and heads-up display (HUD). There's not even a health bar, so players don't know when their health is low until they're advised to take a potion or evade enemies for a while. When players hit the start button, they enter a Sanctuary to choose their outfits, weapons and other options.

-- Lionhead seems to push the idea that your character in Fable III isn't exactly as powerful as the hero in Fable II, particularly in the magic department. As many will recall, players could switch between spell types by pulling the trigger or setting them as shortcuts on the directional pad. In Fable III, spells are limited by magic gauntlets the lead character wears on his or her hands. For example, players start out with a fire gauntlet. Once they receive new spells, they must enter the Sanctuary to change gauntlets and use another ability. The magic weaving ability lets players wear two gauntlets and combine spells for a devastating attack.

-- Before growing strong enough to conquer Albion, players must pass through the Road to Rule, a magical realm where players unlock new abilities using Guild Seals earned after quests or by finding allies in your revolution. Players can bolster their combat skills or learn simple tasks such as buying property or expanding the type of expressions used.

-- It's hard to believe, but combat may be easier in Fable III than its predecessor. A lot of that is tied to the simplified magic system. Players aren't required to wait for spells to recharge, so they can freely use magic with little penalty. Players also use weapons that change in appearance as they use them, although a lot of the adjustments seem subtle so far. The combat system is set up so players spend little time changing weapons and spells and focus strictly on combat. It also helps when visiting the Sanctuary to perform these tasks is a bit of a chore.

-- Someone at Lionhead is a fan of the movie Dirty Dancing, based on the "Dance" expression players can use. At least developers didn't prefer the Macarena.

Stay tuned for a complete review later this week. Readers, excited for Fable III? Also, leave any questions you have about the game.

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About Mike Snider

Mike Snider began covering the video game industry during the Super Nintendo-Sega Genesis clash in 1992. An original pinball wizard, he eventually was seduced by Robotron: 2084 and Tempest. These days he is a fan of action/shooters and lives out his Keith Moon fantasies playing a mean drum kit on music games. More about Mike.

About Brett Molina

Brett Molina has been writing about video games for USA TODAY since 2005. He is well-versed in Madden NFL, the fighting genre and first-person shooters. The first video game he played was Asteroids at a local arcade. He has been hooked ever since. More about Brett.